The present invention relates to a vibration generating device that is attachable to and detachable from one or more fishing rods of the same cross-sectional dimension, or to and from fishing rods of different cross-sectional dimensions, by an attachment means that makes such attachment, detachment and re-attachment, rapid and easy, yet once the attachment is made, firmly holds the device on the rod to which it is attached, even when the device is subjected to the extreme forces exerted on it and the attachment means by the vibrations generated by the vibration device, as well as the forces produced by the motion of the rod in casting.
It is known that if a fishing rod can be made to vibrate it will cause a lure attached to the end of the line to move in a fluttering action that attracts fish to strike. Some prior art devices attempted to achieve this by manufacturing a rod that contains a vibrator as an integral part of the device, such as, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,785,998 and 6,836,995. This had the disadvantage that the user had to buy the particular rod. Not only is such rod costly, but it limits the user to that particular rod. Fishermen are very particular about rods and the action that the rods play in casting a lure and playing and landing a fish, and want to have the freedom to select from a variety of rods of different lengths, materials and action.
Other prior art devices such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,700,501 and 3,789,534 have detachable vibration devices which are cumbersome to attach, and have the line passing through the vibrating device and then through the eyelets of the rod. The feeding of the line modifies the particular inter-action of the rod reel and line intended by the manufacturer for the fishing line to pass from the reel through the eyelets to achieve a certain co-action between the rod and line which was intended by the manufacturer of the rod and tension on the line intended by the manufacturer of the reel to affect the action of the rod and the line in casting the line and in hooking and reeling in a fighting fish.
Other prior art devices such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,920,774 required the power supply and switching and electrical adjustments to be placed separate from the fishing rod and connected by wires. This is not only cumbersome but it can also interfere with the freedom to hold the rod at any angle when casting and can cause the wire to become entangled with other items in the boat or on the dock.
Still other devices had means for attaching a vibrating mechanism to a rod in a manner where the attachment means were cumbersome and difficult to attach and detach. This is a problem not only in the initial installation, but when a fisherman want to use a vibration apparatus for only part of their fishing day, and to try some fishing without it, much as they change lures when the fish are not biting to the degree that the fisherman desires.
Moreover, most fishermen have more than one rod, and want to change the rod either to go after different kinds of fish, or because they want to try different kinds of rod action. Each of the different rods may have different cross-sectional dimensions of the shaft, complicating or prohibiting the attachment of a vibrating device on a range of different fishing rods.
An inherent problem in attaching, anything, such as a vibration generating mechanism, to a fishing rod, is that the finished surface of the rod is often slippery. This is because a special waterproof coating that is placed on many rods gives the rod a slippery surface. This finish can adversely effect not only the ease by which a vibrator can be attached in proper alignment to a fishing rod during the fishing operation due to the tendency of the device to slip during such installation, but it will also increase the tendency of the attachment means to slip during casting a lure and landing a fish.
Accordingly, for the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a fisherman to have a vibrating device that can be quickly and simply attached and unattached either to the same, or another fishing rod of the same or different cross-sectional dimensions easily and quickly, yet will remain in the same firm attachment for a prolonged time and not become loosened during the casting of a lure and landing of a fish.